The decree also says the Assembly will ask the Supreme Court and the Attorney General's Office to investigate and sanction any Venezuelan politicians who encouraged or promoted the imposition of sanctions against their own country.

The president of the assembly, Delcy Rodriguez, recalled that opposition leaders had issued a communique at the weekend, "calling for and justifying all these actions and calling on other governments to apply similar sanctions."

She explained that U.S. President Donald Trump’s financial sanctions are an alternative to military intervention, which was met with rejection even from U.S.-allied regional right-wing governments. Rodriquez stated that the purpose of these attacks' was to further destabilize the country and “intensify the economic aggression against the Venezuelan people.”

The ANC announced on Sunday that throughout this week it will debate how to respond to the wave of “aggression” from the U.S. government and will announce a plan of action Friday.

Last Friday, Trump signed economic sanctions against the Bolivarian country that many in the international community have strongly condemned, as experts predict it will only bring hardship to Venezuelans struggling under the weight of an economic crisis.

Within the U.S., three congressional members criticized the president’s sanctions, “With its announcement of the most extensive U.S. financial sanctions against Venezuela to date, the Trump Administration is once again pursuing aggressive unilateral measures abroad in an attempt to distract attention away from the sustained outrage over the president’s disgraceful antics at home – all while designing his sanctions in accordance with the interests of oil-industry lobbyists."